Principal Platform Engineer

Clarity Innovations is a trusted national security partner, dedicated to safeguarding our nation’s interests and delivering innovative solutions that empower the Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) to transform data into actionable intelligence, ensuring mission success in an evolving world.

Our mission-first software and data engineering platform modernizes data operations, utilizing advanced workflows, CI/CD, and secure DevSecOps practices. We focus on challenges in Information Warfare, Cyber Operations, Operational Security, and Data Structuring, enabling end-to-end solutions that drive operational impact.

We are committed to delivering cutting-edge tools and capabilities that address the most complex national security challenges, empowering our partners to stay ahead of emerging threats and ensuring the success of their critical missions. At Clarity, we are people-focused and set on being a destination employer for top talent, offering an environment where innovation thrives, careers grow, and individuals are valued. Join us as we continue to lead innovation and tackle the most pressing challenges in national security.

Location: Herndon, VA (Hybrid, 3+ days in office)

Role

This position is part of a dynamic team at the forefront of implementing designs to support the next generation of cyber operations. This role requires technical versatility across the stack, from backend services to infrastructure. Above all, Engineers are driven by a “Whatever It Takes” mindset—executing in an expedient and pragmatic way while keeping the mission top-of-mind and making excellent engineering decisions to deliver successful outcomes correctly and on-time.

Responsibilities:

Infrastructure Engineering

• Lead the design of Kubernetes and cloud-based systems (AWS/Azure).

• Provision and manage infrastructure as code (IaC) using tools like Terraform, Crossplane, or Ansible.

• Manage specialized environments using tools like KIND to bridge the gap between development and operational deployment.

• Deploy and maintain AI workloads as appropriate to solve customer challenges.

• Identify bottlenecks and optimize specific features across the stack, from service latency to resource utilization.

Kubernetes & Workload Orchestration

• Deploy, manage, and maintain Kubernetes across development and production environments.

• Monitor and optimize workloads using Helm and Kustomize to deploy microservices at scale.

• Implement network policies, load balancing, and service discovery using Istio Service Mesh.

DevSecOps & Automation

• Design and operate CI/CD pipelines to streamline code deployments and facilitate operational capabilities.

• Ensure infrastructure security through implementing FIPS encryption, Zero Trust principles, and robust identity management.

• Relentless Automation: Advocate for and implement robust automation to eliminate manual work and improve system reliability.

Operations & Observability

• Implement and monitor system availability and security, using Prometheus and Grafana.

• Troubleshoot and resolve production incidents to minimize downtime, relentlessly seeking automated long-term fixes.

• Manage recovery processes to ensure mission continuity.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Understand high-level operational relevancy and business objectives of the technology you are implementing

• Contribute to sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives.

• Promote automation practices across teams to enhance agility and performance.

• Knowledge Management: Create clear documentation and stay updated on latest industry trends to keep solutions cutting-edge.

Required Qualifications:

• Mission-focused mindset with an emphasis on achieving cyber dominance to provide a technical advantage for the warfighter and others executing critical US national security objectives.

• A bias for action, ownership, and the drive to see projects through to mission completion

• Current Top Secret security clearance

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, IT, or a related technical discipline. (Degree requirement can be met with four years of hands-on experience in an Engineering or similar full-time position.)

• More than 8 years of industry experience as a Platform Engineer, Full Stack Engineer or similar role

• Proficient with container orchestration using Kubernetes in production environments

• Experience with monitoring tools for Kubernetes environments, such as Prometheus

• Experience working with Helm charts for packaging applications

• Ability to collaborate as a team and execute independently

• Thrives in a high-trust/startup, adaptable team environment

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and CI/CD GitOps based deployments

• Proficient in containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Podman)

• Understanding of Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools, such as Terraform

• Expertise with both compiled and scripting languages (Go, Python, etc)

Preferred Qualifications:

• SCI eligibility

• Expertise in the Cyber Operations

• Expertise with Istio for service mesh management

• Experience with Rook-Ceph for storage

• Experience with Kubernetes operators and custom resource definitions (CRDs)

• Experience with DevSecOps practices and integrating security tools with Kubernetes

• Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL)

• Experience with OIDC (OpenID Connect) and KeyCloak

• Familiarity with PLTR technologies, such as Foundry

• Familiarity with Agile development practices and the Scaled Agile Framework

• Familiarity with Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) utilities

• Familiarity with VPN technologies such as IPSec, OpenVPN, and Wireguard

• Familiarity with integrating with Cross Domain Solutions

Salary Range: $113,000 - $300,000

Pay Range

The posted pay range reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position and is provided to give candidates a general understanding of the compensation opportunity. The actual salary offered will be determined based on the requirements of the position and a variety of job-related factors, which may include geographic location, applicable Federal Government contract labor categories and wage rates, relevant experience, skills and competencies, education, certifications, and the scope and responsibilities of the role.

Because this position may be performed in multiple locations and may be subject to different contract requirements, the salary ultimately offered may vary based on the applicable location and contract. The posted range is not a guarantee of a specific starting salary or an indication that an offer will be made at any particular point within the range.

Total Rewards

In addition to competitive base pay, Clarity provides a Total Rewards package designed to attract and retain exceptional professionals committed to excellence. Our benefits reflect the value we place on skilled individuals who drive our impact in critical digital missions.

At Clarity, a career means joining a high-performing team advancing vital work in the digital landscape. We encourage you to consider the total value of joining us—competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and resources that support your growth and impact.

Our Total Rewards package includes performance-based bonuses, extensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) plan with company match, substantial paid time off and holidays, flexible work arrangements where possible, and a range of income protection benefits. We are committed to supporting your well-being, professional growth, and ability to contribute to essential digital missions.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.